Charity’s appeal for Daisy the monkey’s last chance of happiness
18th December 2014
An animal charity has launched an appeal to rescue Daisy the capuchin monkey and bring her to a Sanctuary in Cornwall.
Wild Futures is hoping to raise £6000 to bring the monkey from Gloucestershire to The Monkey Sanctuary, near Looe, where they will offer specialist care and attention to help Daisy to live a full and interesting life.
Daisy was originally confiscated from an exotic animal breeder in Wales, where she was being kept in terrible conditions. Isolated and alone from any of her kind, when she was rescued she had healed cigarette burns and badly mended, fractured fingers from her previous life. Likely taken from her mother as a tiny infant, she also has a laparotomy scar- allegedly from her time imprisoned in a laboratory breeding facility.
A caring couple nursed Daisy back to health and found her another capuchin monkey for company, but after many years together he has recently died, leaving her alone, once again, and desperate for company. Capuchins are a particularly intelligent, social species that naturally live in the rainforests in South and Central America. At Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary, Daisy will have the chance to join other capuchin monkeys of her species, rescued from the pet trade.
Senior Keeper Lousia Marchbanks, said: “We urgently need to raise the funds to be able to transport Daisy safely to the Sanctuary, pay for her initial veterinary check and to cover the costs of her ongoing care. She will also have to spend a month in isolation before she can be introduced to her new monkey friends. We are asking for people to pledge their support and make a donation, to change Daisy’s life.”
Wild Futures have taken in over 30 capuchins; many rescued from conditions of abuse and neglect in the primate pet trade. Each individual has been socialised with other monkeys and now live in spacious, natural enclosures at The Monkey Sanctuary. With public support they hope to do the same for poor Daisy.
Daisy had a very sad start to life and is now showing signs of distress due to being alone, so experienced keepers at the Sanctuary are anxious to make sure that she spends her last years in a caring environment, surrounded by friends.
Louisa added: “Every penny counts and there are many ways to get involved and help out. You can even hold your own fundraising event to raise money for Daisy’s appeal- and don’t forget to spread the word! The more people that know about Daisy’s appeal, and the plight of others like her in the UK primate pet trade, the better.”
Please help Wild Futures give Daisy a last chance of happiness by contributing towards her appeal. Thank you.
To donate, visit www.wildfutures.org/daisyrescueappeal or text DAIS10 and the amount you want to give (e.g. DAIS10 £10) to 70070. Call 01503262532 for more information or to get involved.
<ENDS>
Notes to Editors:
About Wild Futures
Wild Futures (Charity reg. No. 1102532) is an educational and environmental charity promoting the welfare and conservation of primates as well as working to end the abuse of primates in captivity. Its flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary, in Cornwall, is home to victims of the primate pet trade. The Monkey Sanctuary is the only Sanctuary in Europe accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and is a founder and board member of EARS (European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries). Drawing on 50 years of primate expertise, Wild Futures acts as an advisory body to sanctuaries and conservation organisations in the UK and overseas and advises DEFRA on UK animal welfare legislation.
For more information or pictures, contact:
Tel; 0844 272 1271